Konflikt pamięci na pograniczu polsko-białoruskim na przykładzie działalności Romualda Rajsa ps. „Bury”
A memories conflict on the Polish-Belarusian borderland with reference to activity of Romuald Rajs aka “Bury”

Summary/Abstract: This article is devoted to the presentation of different narratives associated with the figure of Romuald Rajs – a member of the armed underground, who is currently in the pantheon of “Cursed Soldiers”. However, he also participated in the murder of haulers and in the pacification of the few Belarusian villages during which women and children were also killed. The existence of two different “legends” about this character, which can be found on the Polish-Belarusian borderland is the main reason for tensions – related to the memory of the war and the days immediately after it – between Belarusians and Poles, and more broadly, Orthodox and Catholics. The figure of “Bury” is at the root of the conflict between the memories of the above-mentioned groups and we can assume that this may affect on worsening of Polish-Belarusian relations in Podlasie. In the article, except to explain what is the collective memory and a memories conflict, I describe the figure of Rajs – the most important facts of his life, especially those, that are the essence of the dispute for the sake of their different interpretation.

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